Jeremiah P. Ostriker facts for kids

Jeremiah Paul Ostriker (oh-STRY-kər; April 13, 1937 – April 6, 2025) was an American astrophysicist. An astrophysicist is a scientist who studies space and the universe. He was a professor of astronomy at Columbia University. He was also a special professor at Princeton University, where he had previously served as a senior leader called a Provost. A provost helps manage a university.

Early Life and Education

Jerry Ostriker was born in New York City on April 13, 1937. His father, Martin Ostriker, owned a clothing company. His mother, Jeanne Sumpf Ostriker, was a public school teacher. He had three brothers and sisters.

From a young age, Jerry was very interested in science. He once said that he preferred to teach himself difficult subjects like calculus. He felt he learned better on his own than in school. He earned his first degree from Harvard University. Then, he got his Ph.D. (a high-level degree) from the University of Chicago.

Career and Research in Space

After finishing his studies, Ostriker worked at the University of Cambridge in England. From 1971 to 1995, he was a professor at Princeton University. He then became the Provost of Princeton from 1995 to 2001. This meant he was a top administrator helping to run the university.

Later, he was a special professor at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge. He then returned to Princeton. In 2012, he became a professor of astronomy at Columbia University.

Discoveries About Dark Matter

Ostriker was very important in developing the idea that most of the mass in the universe is invisible. This invisible mass is called dark matter. Scientists believe dark matter makes up a huge part of the universe. However, we cannot see it or touch it.

His research also looked into other big questions about space. He studied the gas and dust between stars, how galaxies change over time, and the history of the universe (called cosmology). He also studied black holes, which are areas in space with super strong gravity.

Sloan Digital Sky Survey

On June 20, 2013, Ostriker received an award from the White House. This award was for his role in starting the Sloan Digital Sky Survey project. This project collects detailed pictures and information about millions of objects in space. All of this amazing data is available for anyone to use online.

Ostriker was also known for something called the Ostriker–Peebles criterion. This is a rule that helps scientists understand how galaxies form and stay stable.

Awards and Honors

Jerry Ostriker received many important awards for his work. These awards recognized his big contributions to science.

• He became a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1974.
• He won the Helen B. Warner Prize for Astronomy in 1972.
• In 2000, he received the National Medal of Science from U.S. President Bill Clinton. This is one of the highest science awards in the United States.
• He also won the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2004. This is a very respected award in astronomy.
• In 2007, he was elected as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in the UK.
• He received the Bruce Medal in 2011 and the James Craig Watson Medal in 2012.
• In 2015, he was given the Gruber Prize in Cosmology.

Personal Life

In 1958, Jerry Ostriker married Alicia Ostriker. She is a well-known poet and writer. They had three children: Rebecca, Eve, and Gabriel.

Their daughter, Eve Ostriker, also became an astrophysics professor at Princeton University. She started teaching there in 2012, the same year her father retired. Jerry and Alicia Ostriker lived in Princeton, New Jersey.

Jerry Ostriker passed away in Manhattan on April 6, 2025. He was 87 years old.